(A group of community representatives listen to a presentation on the future of the cruise ship industry in Saint John)
(Photo by Gary MacDonald)
The Saint John Port Authority wants to upgrade the Pugsley C. Terminal and the Long Wharf Terminal to better accommodate cruise ships.
President and CEO Al Soppitt says they are willing to pay half of the projects 18.4 million dollar price tag, but are hoping the provincial and federal governments will split the rest of the bill.
He says Saint John is rapidly becoming a two-ship cruise port and changes need to be made to accommodate that.
Soppitt say the port can only host one ship at a time that is longer than 300 meters and passengers are no longer interested in berthing at cargo facilities.
The Port Authority estimates Saint John will be visited by over 300,000 cruise ship passengers in 2015, but the city needs to be able to berth larger vessels.
